


After It Rains, How Long Until It Stops Pouring?

by jeremyyyberryyy



Series: hurt/comfort minho fics aka the loving lee know series [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Crying, Crying Lee Minho | Lee Know, Cuddling & Snuggling, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Loves Lee Minho | Lee Know, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lee Minho | Lee Know-centric, Little! Lee Know, M/M, Multi, OT8, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, References to Depression, Sad Lee Minho | Lee Know, Swearing, little!Minho, littlespace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeremyyyberryyy/pseuds/jeremyyyberryyy
Summary: This is part 2 (aka the aftermath) of When It Rains, It Pours when Stray Kids think Minho was faking sickness and don’t believe him. After it is revealed that Minho was actually sick and not faking it, the members apologize and give Minho lots of much needed affection. However, this doesn’t mean everything is just okay again. The group still has a lot to talk about and some new information to be revealed about Minho, in which the other members help him through accepting himself and Minho gets to explore another side of him. (Go read part 1 before reading this if you haven’t already!!)
Relationships: Bang Chan/Everyone, Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Everyone, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Everyone, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Kim Seungmin/Everyone, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Felix (Stray Kids)/Everyone, Lee Felix/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Lee Minho | Lee Know/Everyone, Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin, Lee Minho | Lee Know/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Seo Changbin/Everyone, Stray Kids Ensemble/Everyone, Yang Jeongin | I.N/Everyone
Series: hurt/comfort minho fics aka the loving lee know series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164527
Comments: 15
Kudos: 152





	After It Rains, How Long Until It Stops Pouring?

**Author's Note:**

> as requested, this is the part 2! this chapter does contain littlespace, so if you don’t want to read about little minho, then feel free to leave the ending of chapter 1 as the real ending. (i think the story works both ways and ends well either way.) but anyways, sorry for again not checking for correct grammar and everything, but i hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> tw/cw: littlespace (this is not age play tho, no sexualizing littles here folks), panic attacks, crying (lots of crying), self-harm, crying, swearing, poly ot8, self-deprecating thoughts, references to depression and anxiety  
> (don’t worry there’s lots and lots of fluff in this one!!)

When he wakes up in the morning, Minho is surrounded by warmth. A blanket has been lazily thrown over his body and he feels Felix and Jeognin’s arms on either side of him, while Jisung and Seungmin sleep halfway on the couch and halfway on top of him. Felix has his arms wrapped around Jisung’s back with Changbin loosely wrapping his arms around Felix with one hand tangled in Minho’s hair. Hyunjin has cuddled up to Seungmin, and Jeongin has one arm wrapped around the both of them, while the other is wrapped around Minho. The only person missing from the cuddle pile is their oldest boyfriend.

Minho wakes up dazed and still exhausted, but feels better than he did yesterday. His stomach rumbles and he is reminded of the fact that he hadn’t eaten yesterday at all, except for the few snacks they had during the shoot. 

He carefully peels his way out of his boyfriends' embrace, moving limbs off of him and onto other members. Then he stumbles off the couch and to his feet. All of his members are still deep asleep and he can hear the maknae’s light snoring. 

Chan notices as soon as Minho enters the kitchen and immediately is at his side, helping him blow his nose. Although Minho could have blown his nose himself, getting up had made him slightly dizzy (or maybe he just enjoys Chan babying him and doesn’t want to admit it).

“What are you doing up, Minho?” asks Chan. “You’re still sick, baby.”

Minho flinches at the word baby, their words echoing in his mind from the previous day. Although Minho has forgiven them, he still very much remembers the words they had said the other day. “I’m not a baby,” Minho keeps thinking to himself, trying to convince his own mind by repeating the phrase over and over again. The flinch does not go unnoticed by Chan and makes him frown slightly.

“I want food,” Minho says simply.

“Okay, Min. I’m making some breakfast right now. Is there something you want in particular?”

Minho shakes his head.

“I’m not very hungry, but I didn’t eat anything yesterday, so I figure I need to today.”

At his boyfriend's words, Chan looks down at the floor in guilt. It is his fault Minho hadn’t eaten yesterday. He had stormed out of the kitchen instead of making sure all of his members had eaten like he usually does. And Minho couldn’t even eat at the table because he was hurt by their words and feeling unwell. Chan feels horrible, not just as the leader but as a boyfriend as well.

Minho notices the face of the older, so after rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Minho lifts Chan’s chin.

“I forgive you, okay? It’s not your fault I wasn't hungry yesterday.”

Chan could’ve cried at how sweet and understanding their boyfriend is. Instead, he gathers Minho into his arms and wraps himself around his sleepy baby.

“I know..., but you still didn’t deserve what I said to you. Or what anybody else said to you. We love you. I love you, baby. And I'm so sorry,” Chan murmurs into Minho’s ear. 

Minho pulls away from Chan, suddenly, after his words. Concerned, BangChan grasps onto his arms to keep him from completely leaving his embrace. Before he can ask him what is wrong, Minho’s elbow flies to his nose and he sneezes. Chan would’ve giggled at the sight, but he still feels bad for his baby.

The sneeze leaves Minho in a daze, staring at the floor. He lets out a pathetic whine. After waking up, he had thought he wasn't sick anymore. 

Another sneeze rattles his body and he slumps back into Chan’s embrace. Chan starts rubbing up and down his back in a soothing manner.

“I thought Jeongin was the baby,” mumbles Minho sleepily from Chan’s chest. 

Chan laughs, “Innie may be maknae, but all of you are younger than me, so you’re still my baby…, baby.”

Minho would’ve laughed had the pet name not made him feel so warm and fuzzy inside. He feels a lot more relaxed in Chan’s arms. But sadly, he is soon interrupted with the need to cough again.

Minho roughly pushes back from Chan and practically doubles over in coughs. The coughs left his throat scratchy and he felt undeniably upset that he is still ill, a frown making its way across his face.

Chan quickly reassures him, telling Minho they have the day off to relax and take care of him and that he will get better in no time.

“Besides we still have to talk about last night,” Chan says, eyeing Minho before turning back to the stove, where he has a kettle of tea on.

Minho freezes at the words, memories of last night on the couch rushing back to him. When he had woken up in the morning, he felt a lot better than he had the previous day. However, now remembering what he had said and done last night, make Minho feel sick to his stomach. Isn’t talking about your problems and opening up to others supposed to make a person feel better, not worse? 

“We can talk whenever you want, honey. We all want you to be comfortable, but I think we do really need to discuss last night and the thoughts it seems you’ve had for a while,” continues Chan. Last night, Minho had fallen asleep almost instantly after his eyes had closed. (This was not a surprise as Minho was incredible at falling asleep super quickly.) The rest of the members had then discussed Minho’s words but wanted to have a real discussion with him to ask more questions about what's doing on in that head of his and find ways they could all help Minho. They also wanted to ask about the strange behavior he had exhibited, as it seems to be more than just sickness slurring his words together. Honestly, all of his boyfriends were thrilled with the normally non-affectionate and hug hater, Lee Minho, being the one initiating touches and hugs. They were surprised and unsure, but they all definitely loved both cuddly and non-cuddly Minho. And they all seemed to be entranced by Minho’s cute behavior, as he usually didn’t let himself act childish and never would admit that he wanted affection. They were especially curious after they saw him stick his thumb in his mouth, lightly sucking and mumbling unintelligible words after he had fallen asleep with a light smile on his face. (Although the talking in his sleep was pretty normal.)

Chan turns back around as Minho lets out another harsh cough, handing him a cup of hot tea and sliding some medicine over to the younger. 

Minho smiles softly in thanks and takes a sip of the tea, humming in delight as it soothes his throat and warms his insides. Although he is not looking forward to their talk with him, he knows it is for the best and that his boyfriends will understand, most of them having their own struggles and still dealing with similar problems.

“Now come on,” speaks Chan, grinning at the way the tea had made Minho’s body all pliant and his eyes drowsy once again. “Go lay back down and try to get some more rest. Your body is still fighting sickness and you're probably exhausted from yesterday. Don’t make me carry you,” Chan trails off. “Unless that’s what you want,” Chan says, remembering the way Minho had relaxed in Binnie's arms while he had carried him to the couch yesterday.

Minho’s ears turn bright red and he lets out a cough, this time from embarrassment. He looks down at the ground, mumbling something about it not being his fault since he was sick and how he could walk back to the living room by himself.

Chan lets out a laugh and leans down to kiss him on the forehead, letting Minho know that he will let him know when breakfast is ready if he is still awake. Minho turns to leave before he is stopped by a familiar sleepy face entering the kitchen. 

Felix lets out a yawn and a word that vaguely sounds like “Goodmorning”, as he stumbles into the kitchen. Chan looks back and grins as Felix peaks over to see what Chan is making on the stove after planting a kiss on his cheek.

Minho smiles and shakes his head at Felix’s messy hair and rumpled clothes, knowing he looks no better. Then after swallowing his pills down and grimacing at the feeling, he shuffles his feet over to Felix and snakes his arms around him.

Felix lets out a content sigh as Minho crosses his hands over his chest. Felix has started to play with Minho's fingers when Chan addresses Felix, but Minho is in too much of a daze and feels way too calm and relaxed to even bother to listen. 

Before he knows it, Minho is scooped into Felix’s arms, forgetting how strong all of his boyfriends are. Felix and Chan both let out a laugh at the surprised noise Minho makes, before his freckled boyfriend carries him out of the kitchen and plops him down in the living room.

“I’m going to go take a shower and then help Chris with food, so stay here and try and get some rest, hm?” Lixie says, his hands playing with Minho’s fingers as he grasps them in between his palms.

Minho dumbly nods, gazing at this boyfriend with wide, innocent eyes. This causes Felix to chuckle and leave a sweet peck on the side of Minho’s face before leaving for his shower. Minho grins, making his way over to a seat next to the couch, not wanting to navigate the jumble of limbs and bodies piled on the couch (with a still fast asleep Hyunjin now sprawled out on the ground).

He settles his body comfortably in the chair, pulling a blanket on top of him and snuggling up, nuzzling the side of his face into the soft chair. And with that, he falls asleep once more.

____________________________________________________________________________

When Minho wrenches open his eyes, he realizes he has been forcefully awakened from sleep from another coughing fit. The fit leaves him annoyed and his eyes are watery as he looks around the living room. Soon he realizes all of his boyfriends have abandoned the couch and are off doing who knows what. It takes a second before the unexplainable panic fills his sleepy brain and he immediately stumbles upright to go look them.

His eyes are glassy and his brain is fuzzy, so he can't hear their voices filtering in from the kitchen, as they eat their food and argue over who will help Minho eat when he wakes up. He also doesn't seem to realize that Hyunjin still remains on the floor and is just now on his phone in order to keep an eye on Minho for when his boyfriend wakes up.

Hyunjin has his headphones in and therefore does not realize Minho has woken up and is currently in a state of distress. Minho himself doesn't even know why the fact of his boyfriends not being there frightens him so much, as logically he knows they are all home, either all together in the kitchen or some getting ready and taking showers.

Minho takes unsteady steps, slowly making his way towards the kitchen. This causes him to be in Hyunjin's line of sight and the other boy sits up a tiny bit, ready to greet his boyfriend. However, his face immediately turns into a frown at the look on his hyung's face and the tears that seem to be threatening to spill down his face.

As Hyunjin sits up, Minho becomes aware of the movement and turns to look down at the other boy. The sight of Hyunjin laying on the ground and looking with concern back at him is enough to make Minho cry out and for the tears to roll down his face.

Before Hyunjin can even react to the state of distress his boyfriend is in, Minho has made his way over to the couch and plops down, placing the entirety of his body on Hyunjin. He lets out a soft “Oof-“ as Minho puts his whole weight down on him, but automatically wraps his arms about the older. He holds him tightly and lets his back drop again to the floor.

Minho sobs with his chin in the crook of Hyunjin's neck and Hyunjin calms him by petting his hair and running his fingers up one of Minho’s arms. His sobbing slowly starts to calm down and he becomes aware of Hyunjin's comforting words as he praises him and assures him that he is going to be okay. But the rest of his boyfriends, minus Changbin and Felix, who are now either in the shower or getting ready, have already heard the crying coming from the living room.

Seungmin is the first to come rushing into the room, looking alarmed at the sounds he had heard from his bedroom. He quickly sees Hyunjin's anxious face and Minho’s face buried into his shoulder and hands clutched around Hyunjin's body. Seungmin mouths to Hyunjin, asking him what’s going on, but Hyunjin just shakes his head and looks almost as bewildered as Seungmin. Seungmin kneels down and starts whispering in his boyfriend's ear.

“You’re okay, Min. You’re okay. Want to calm down and tell us what’s going on, baby?”

Minho hears his boyfriend's words, not even having the heart to reprimand him for not using honorifics (and in all honesty not caring if the others want to use informal speech with him). He slowly begins calming down with the presence of his two boyfriends surrounding him.

“There you go, hyung. You’re doing good. So good for us. We love you so much," adds Hyunjin.

Minho feels his body completely let go, allowing the kind praises to wash over him. Soon, Chan and Jeongin have entered the living room as well. And soon after, Sungie comes in and looks at the scene before him, running to get Felix and Changbin, who were both done showering and changing by now. 

“What’s wrong, Min? Let’s get you up, yes?” vocalizes Chan.

Minho lets himself be pu lled into Chan’s chest, weakly protesting for the short time he is separated from Jinnie. His eyes are glossy and he can barely make out the shapes of the other members gathered around. Chan gingerly lifts him up onto the couch, alarmed at how little he weighs and making a mental note to feed the boy more. Minho lets out a whimper when Chan lets go of him and tries to grasp back onto him as he pulls away.

Changbin and Jisung have already settled themselves on the couch and Changbin immediately starts comforting the boy. Minho, blinking his eyes back in to focus on Changbin at his side, wraps his body around him with his legs fully secured around Changbin's waist. The younger is surprised at Minho’s actions but lets himself be pulled into Minho’s body as the baby clings onto him, resting his head on Bin's shoulder.

To say the rest of the group are concerned is an understatement. Chan jumps into action, settling his body onto the couch next to the couple and allowing Changbin to pass a clingy Minho off to him. Chan takes Minho, who has now started to become more in tune with his surroundings and what is going on, into his lap. Minho lays on Chan’s chest, Chan gently playing with his fingers. 

Soon the other members have all crammed onto the couch or just stuck with sitting at the feet of the couch. Jisung lays his head on Chan’s shoulder and starts rubbing Minho’s belly. Changbin stays at the couples' side, caressing the side of Minho’s face that isn’t smushed against Chan’s chest. Seungmin has gotten in between Chan and Minho’s legs, kneeling and wiping the tears off of Minho’s cheeks. While Felix, Hyunjin, and Jeongin have gotten up to get Minho some water, his breakfast, and another oversized hoodie and sweatpants for Minho to change into.

Minho’s tears have long stopped and now he just lays in a pile of mush surrounded by his boyfriends and their sweet words and praises. The fuzzy headspace has completely taken over and he relaxes into the arms of his Channie-hyung, letting the others calm him and Innie clasp their hands together from where he sits in Hyunjin and Felix's laps on the ground. 

“Min, baby, wanna tell us what that was about?” Chan questions carefully, once he is sure Minho has completely calmed down. 

“You were g-gone," Minho practically whispers. “W-woke up and you had left L-Lino.”

His boyfriends are unsure of how to respond. What was going on with Minho? Felix and Hyunjin are both somewhat convinced this has to do with Minho still being sick and a bit loopy because of the medicine. Yet, Chan has an inkling that it’s something different and he might know what’s going on.

“Awh, we are so sorry, baby. We didn’t mean to leave you alone when you woke up. Hyunjin was just on the ground waiting for you, but you must not have seen him.” Chan finally breaks the short silence and confusion that follows Minho’s confession.

Minho feels really funny. However, this fuzzy feeling is nice and he loves the comfort and attention he is getting from the rest of the group. Minho feels completely out of it but manages to nod his head at what Chan is saying. He knows it wasn’t their fault they had woken up and left the living room and that it was his fault for not seeing Hyunjin on the floor. Minho had just really missed them and the sight of them not being where they had been when he had fallen asleep had caused his anxiety to skyrocket. Now with his boyfriends, Minho feels soft and small and cared for. It is nice not being the one caring for others and not being the one in control every once in a while.

The rest of his boyfriends are left in shock and confusion at the way Minho is acting. Not only is he accepting their hugs and affection, but he is leaning into their welcoming embraces and seems completely comfortable being held and cared for. Their normal Minho wasn't too fond of human contact and normally wasn’t one to initiate a hug unless one of the others needed comfort. They are also baffled at why he had been crying when he saw they weren’t there. Surely he had heard them in the kitchen or at least knew they weren’t far off. Of course, sometimes someone in the group would have the occasional nightmare and not want to let the others out of their sight. Or someone would feel left out or touch starved and needed extra comfort. But this seems strange and Minho is never one to admit he needs cuddles or affection from the other members. On top of that, the way he had been talking and his overall behavior is something they had never seen before until last night.

Chan feels a wave of concern pass through him and tightens his hold of Minho, the younger just continuing to contentedly play with Chan’s fingers. 

“Is now a good time to have our talk, love?” Chan asks hesitantly, not wanting to disturb the calm and relaxed atmosphere which surrounds Minho.

Minho tries to speak, but his head is all mushy and he can’t get himself to formulate any words. He lets out a whine from not being able to answer Chan’s questions and nuzzles his head into his shoulder.

Chan frowns at his behavior. They are all concerned about why Minho had started crying in the first place and their worry has only further increased with the way he is acting. Not only that, but his words from yesterday had scared them and they felt horrible for letting Minho suffer in those depressing and negative thoughts for so long.

“Minho, can you speak, baby? Do you not feel like talking right now?”

Minho feels sluggish. He isn’t sure why his body and mind feel so fuzzy and floaty. It feels like he has completely let go of all stress and worry. It feels great. He feels smaller in Chan’s arms and being held by all of his boyfriends. It is nice to feel so relaxed and warm and safe. Minho curls up in Chan’s embrace and lets himself snuggle into the leader’s warm arms. But then he hears it.

“He’s acting like a child.”

He isn’t sure who says it, but somehow those few whispered words cut through the fog in his brain. The words hadn’t even been said in a mean or disgusted way, but rather in a purely confused and maybe even a little affectionate way. However, in Minho’s head, they are mad at him. The other members are annoyed with how clingy he is being and think he was selfish for lying and selfish for telling them the reasons behind him faking sick. They think he is weird and strange and disgusting. “Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting.”

He immediately shoots up from the couch and out of Chan’s arms after staying there frozen for a few seconds. Seungmin, who is now settled in Jisung's lap, tries to reach out for the boy, only to have Minho roughly shove his hands away. 

Minho’s eyes burn, but he refuses to cry over something as silly and pathetic as this. He stumbles away from the couch, going around his boyfriends who have settled in on the floor. “No. No. No. No,” he keeps repeating in his head. “Stop acting like a fucking child. You’re a hyung for God's sake. 

“You’re acting like a child. You’re acting like a fucking baby. So pathetic. God, you’re horrible. You’re disgusting,” the voice chants in Minho’s head. His breaths start coming out faster and faster. He just wants everything to stop. “Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.” 

Suddenly, he feels hands on him and isn’t sure who exactly it is touching him. All he knows is that the hands and comfort of his boyfriends are what made him act so strange in the first place. 

“Don't touch me!” he shouts, sobbing, not even realizing he hadn’t been able to keep the tears at bay or that he could barely breathe at this point. His thoughts are spiraling and he can’t seem to get his brain to stop running faster and faster. Everything feels horrible and he feels gross. “You ARE gross. You’re disgusting acting like a child and expecting them to take care of you. You don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve them. Haven’t you realized that by now?” Minho wants to bang his head against the wall to make the stupid voice shut up. He can't deal with this anymore.

Minho registers his knees falter underneath him and doesn’t have any time to think before his whole body is dropping to the floor. Minho braces for a harsh landing, but it never comes. Instead, three pairs of arms are catching him.

When Minho shoots up from the couch, Felix, Changbin, and Innie are quick to rush over to their boyfriend, afraid he will run away. Felix reaches out for him along with Seungmin, who was also quick to get up, but when their hands touch Minho, he lets out a sob and violently flinches away.

“What happened?” Chan questions, while the others stare in concern at their boyfriend, who is shaking and keeps muttering, “Don’t touch me,” under his breath. 

“I think it might’ve been what Hyunjin-hyung said,” remarks Jisung.

Hyunjin looks taken aback, “Did I say something wrong?” 

Jisung is quick to reply with, “No, no. You didn’t say anything bad, Jinnie-hyung. I just think calling him a baby might’ve triggered something. But you didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

Hyunjin nods, albeit still confused. Meanwhile, the others are trying to talk to Minho in low, soothing voices in an attempt to calm him down. However, it appears as though Minho isn’t listening or can’t hear them, for he continues to sob, his breathing getting worse as his whole body trembles like a leaf.

“Chris- Chan- I- I don’t- Should we touch him? I’m worried he’s going to-,“ Felix shakily asks Chan. Everybody seems frozen again, as they watch helplessly as Minho continues to cry. 

Chan has been listening to Jisung and Hyunjin's conversation, while still paying attention to what’s going on before him. Currently, even he is unsure of what the best action is to take. It doesn’t seem like Minho wants them to touch him and he wouldn’t want to overwhelm the boy even more. But Minho doesn’t seem to be calming down on his own and Chan is worried the younger is going to end up hurting himself.

Before Chan can respond to Felix, Minho’s knees give out and his body rushes towards the floor. Chan, on instinct, lunges forward to catch him and it seems Changbin and Seungmin have the same idea. They gently lower Minho onto the floor and he curls his body into himself, putting his head in between his legs.

Minho’s cries are loud and painful, but the others know not to touch him. They hear Minho mumble something under his breath and repeat the same unknown phrase over and over again. His boyfriends are unsure of what exactly he’s saying, but it seems to be calming himself down.

“Min...Can we touch you now, baby?” Chan questions cautiously.

Minho visibly flinches at the question. Then he looks up with watery eyes at Chan, wiping his arm over his face to try and dry the tears off. Nobody speaks for several seconds.

Then, “I’m not a baby,” says Minho, his voice barely above a whisper. The others have to strain their ears to even hear him. 

“I’m not a baby,” repeats Minho in the same muted tone. “I’m the second oldest, so stop treating me like I’m a baby. I- I can’t-. Stop trying to take care of me. I don’t need you guys to care for me. I’m fine. Just-“ Minho cuts himself off by closing his eyes and taking in a shuddering breath of air.

“Please,” his voice breaks. “Please stop calling me baby and kitten and whatever other nicknames you’ve come up with. S- Stop hugging me and- holding me and carrying me. I- I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you guys.”

These words further increase everyone’s confusion, but they do confirm that Hyunjin's comment is what set him off. 

Chan furrows his eyebrows, “You were fine with touch a few minutes ago. What happened, Minho? What’s really going on with you?”

“Yeah,” Felix agrees. "You seemed to really enjoy Chan-hyung’s hugs. And what’s wrong with us comforting you, hyung?”

Minho lets out a half sob when he opens his mouth, his eyes squeezing tightly closed.

“But I’m n- not supposed to. I- I’m not allowed to e- enjoy your hugs and comfort. I- I don’t deserve that. Your hugs- they- they make me feel so small and cared for. And I-,” Minho gets cut off with another sob, his face turning red with how open he is being about what’s going on. He feels so vulnerable. It feels as if his heart is being ripped open in his chest. But, he’s way too tired to try and hide his true feelings (and honestly, he's a bit loopy because of all the cough medicine he took).

“I’m not the one you guys are supposed to take care of. And I can’t just act like a fucking child every time things get rough,” Minho spits, now more angry at himself than anything.

Surprisingly, Jeongin is the first one to respond with a loud shout of “Hey!” startling everybody in the room.

“There’s nothing wrong with acting like a child, hyung. And we like taking care of you too, so why won’t you let us?” I.N. continues with a frown evident on his face.

“He’s right,” speaks Hyunjin. “I didn't mean for my comment to seem mean. You just looked like a child all snuggled up to Channie-hyung. You looked cute,” states Hyunjin, matter-of-factly. 

“I’m sorry if we were treating you like a child, Min. We all just like taking care of you. And I think all of us wanted to show you how much we care after yesterday. But you-,” Chan shakes his head, then continues. “You’re allowed to want comfort and attention too, Minho. You deserve to be taken care of.”

“Yeah, hyung. I don’t give a rat's ass if you’re the second oldest. We all take care of each other,” Jisung adds, making Chan push his shoulder playfully at his use of language.

Everyone laughs at Jisung's words and even Minho lets out a little chuckle. But they still nod in agreement with what he says.

“Now let’s get you on the couch, baby,” says Changbin bravely, scooping Minho up and plopping him down on the couch with a wet smooch to the side of his face. The rest stare in anticipation to see how Minho will react and Seungmin slaps Changbin on the back for his actions.

But Minho only mutters, “I told you not to call me that, asshole,” with a slight smile evident in his tone.

“I thought you agreed to let us take care of you,” Changbin snarkily returns, in contrast to the light smile adorning his face.

“I didn’t agree to shit,” Minho says with a blank look on his face as he stares challengingly right back at Changbin. Changbin just snorts and is about to open his mouth again before Seungmin cuts him off.

“Stop cursing!” he gasps out. “There is a baby present,” he states in mock horror at his older boyfriends' words.

“YOU'RE BARELY MUCH OLDER THAN I AM, SEUNGMIN-HYUNG. SHUT YOUR MOUTH,” screeches I.N.

Seungmin responds with a gasp and shouts, “I WAS TALKING ABOUT ME! I'M THE BABY.” 

“NO I’M THE FUCKING BABY!” Jisung shouts for no reason whatsoever, other than wanting to be included in whatever mess is going on currently.

“Oi!” Chan yells. “How about you all watch your fucking language.”

Meanwhile, Minho watches from the couch with a fond look on his face as they all dissolve into giggles once more. God, they’re annoying. And fucking loud. But he loves every one of their dumbasses.

____________________________________________________________________________

Once they have all finished talking, Minho is way more relaxed. They all had made their way to the couch after Minho had eaten and (may have) taken a quick nap. Minho is currently in the middle of all his boyfriends. The movie I.N. and Felix picked from yesterday is playing on the television. But Minho can’t find it in himself to focus on the T.V. He feels way better after discussing things with everybody. They had even discussed a lot of ways they can help him and he can help himself to keep the bad feelings away. Chan said that there was always the option of getting outside help, but Minho immediately shut the idea down. He was content with finding better ways to help himself with the anxiety and depressing thoughts and is glad he has his boyfriends at his side. 

Minho is usually one to not talk about his problems, instead, always keeping to himself and dealing with his issues on his own, the best he could. That’s the way he had always done things. He doesn't enjoy opening up to others, instead, he likes the other members coming to him to complain about not getting the dance right or their vocal coach being bitchy that day. He always loved helping his members in little ways, enjoyed taking care of them even though he would never admit it. Minho would do small things like get their favorite food and snacks from the store or let them eat the food he had bought. He cleaned the dorms a lot as well for the other members. And he also did try his best to cheer the other members up even though he wasn’t the best at giving advice and having heartfelt conversations with the others. He liked to care for them in his own way. He took care of them silently.

Minho also wasn’t a very touchy-feely kind of guy. His home and family weren’t like that when he was younger and he never had friends who were super cuddly and affectionate people. That’s why being in a group with people like Felix and Chan was so surprising. Their group and members were all pretty cuddly and touchy. At first, Minho would go out of his way to avoid hugs from the other members and would always shy away from human contact. But soon, especially with their relationship blossoming into something more, the not wanting to touch the other members became more of an act than what was really true.

His members had taught him a lot and really became his new family. He now realizes that it is okay to want a hug and to be touched. That it isn’t wrong for him to be selfish and ask for that kind of stuff, especially with them dating one another now. At first, Minho had been extremely closed off and he never (ever) showed them his true feelings. But, the members have really started to change him. And each one of them has managed to worm their way into his heart one way or another. 

The others, especially Chan, have always encouraged him to open up and not keep his feelings a secret. He often reminds Minho that it is okay to cry and that crying doesn’t make him weak, which was something he had grown up thinking. Minho was an only child and he had grown up in a somewhat different environment than the others. He was taught that he had to learn and suffer alone in order to improve and get better at things. 

Minho had always been very independent and was never one to rely on others. So it was a shock when he had first started dancing and was part of the maknae line before joining Stray Kids. He got babied quite a lot and this had made him more used to sometimes allowing others to take care of him and to let himself be reliant on other people. This changed, however, when he became a part of Stray Kids and was one of the older members. He had to then get used to taking care of the other members, even though it felt like a lot of the time they were the ones taking care of him, especially during the survival show days. Seungmin especially was always there for him during those times and people like Chan and Changbin were always helping him. He also had Jisung and the others. And had even become Felix’s Korean teacher. Though, through that time of learning and practicing alongside these people, he still kept himself closed off and instead just watched as certain members got close to each other, while never doing it himself.

Minho has also always been quite an honest person, never one to laugh at his member's lame jokes and not one to fake having fun when he wasn’t. The members certainly didn’t understand him at all at first and were always very confused by his behavior. And honestly, they still are. Minho doesn’t even know how or why he acts the way he does sometimes, but eventually, his friends discovered more and more about him and learned more about what the real Lee Minho was like under that mask. And they slowly discovered that a lot of the things he did were all part of this front he put up to not let people inside. He genuinely thought people wouldn’t like him as much if he acted like himself, but he was confident in the persona he portrayed.

It took a while for the others to see past Minho’s mask and break down his walls to let themselves inside. It was a journey to get to know all of their members, and some were just harder than others. Minho was used to pushing people away when they got too close, which is maybe why people who didn’t know him viewed him as cold-hearted and rude. But, all the members knew better and the true fans knew as well. Under all the tsundere act, he was a fun person with a very unique personality, who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind (and who also has a great love for cats). 

Minho honestly doesn’t know what he would describe his personality as. He figures one would have to get to know and spend time with him to figure it out themselves. He has changed a lot being in Stray Kids and cares about each and every one of them immensely, though he would never admit to that. He may stay more silent on variety shows and during lives with the whole group, but that’s only because he sometimes wants to keep to himself and in all honesty, he gets nervous doing those types of things. In reality, Minho is a very sociable person and although he may seem sometimes emotionless to others, his boyfriends know he just expresses love in a different way. He’s almost always with one of the other members and they all love spending time together on and off camera. 

After getting to know Minho more, the group really got to see how cheerful, loud, and engaging he can be with the other members once he was comfortable with them. And just as they had gotten to know Minho, they had gotten to know each other and Minho had gotten to know them. They all slowly and not without some bumps in the road, became good friends. And as Minho started letting people in and connecting with his other members, he started to let each of them into his heart without even realizing it at first.

He fell in love with each of his eight best friends in different ways. He never fell in love the same way and he loved each of them for different reasons. And loved how in turn they all loved each other just as much. Minho hadn’t even realized at first that they had each made their way into his heart and how his feelings seemed to go way further than just another friend or simply just a fellow member in the group. It was amazing to see how he fell in love with each of them at different times and in different ways. It always felt special and the dynamic they had going, made it so no one felt left out and no one was viewed as lesser. He felt truly content. And was amazing how every day he seemed to fall for his members more and more.

____________________________________________________________________________

Minho is too lost in the thoughts to notice that the movie has been paused and Jisung and Seungmin have been enlisted to make more popcorn for the group. Chan eyes him cautiously. Minho doesn’t look like he’s overthinking things or feeling bad, but Chan isn’t sure what’s going on in that mind of his.

Meanwhile, Minho is just content. He feels warm and safe with his boyfriends or maybe it’s just Jisung's fuzzy, weighted blanket that lays on top of him. The fuzzy feeling returns at full force and he falls back into it without care. He feels so loved and fuzzy around his boyfriends with their endless praises and affection. And honestly just feels lucky to be here with them. 

Hyunjin nudges Minho, “You okay?” he asks cautiously.

Minho just hums in this throat, loving this warm, honey-like feeling consuming him too much to respond verbally. He opens his eyes and immediately locks them with Jisung, who has apparently been kicked out of the kitchen due to “unknown reasons” and Felix sent to help instead. 

Minho’s eyes are wide and glossy as he makes grabby hands at his younger boyfriend, who is sitting on the ground in front of him. Jisung looks surprised, but not in a bad way. He slowly inches Minho closer to the edge of the couch. 

Minho falls into Jisung's lap with a giggle and Jisung holds back a groan at Minho’s weight plopping down onto his body. The rest of his boyfriends smiling knowingly down at the couple. Meanwhile, Minho is now squirming in Jisung's lap to try and get comfortable. Jisung giggles along with him at his boyfriend's adorable behavior.

His boyfriends all talked while Minho had napped on the couch before they started the movie. Chan shared his suspicions with the others and everyone was accepting and eventually on board with everything. They planned to bring it up to Minho when the time was right, as it seemed their boyfriend wasn’t even aware of the way he had been acting.

Jisung wraps his arms around Minho’s waist and Minho relaxes back into his chest, starting to play with his fingers. Felix comes back at this time with Seungmin at his side, carrying a large popcorn bowl. Upon arriving in the living room, Felix lets out a noise that sounds like a squeal, or perhaps that’s the squawk of a pigeon right when it accidentally flies straight into the sail of a ship.

“Hi, baby!” Felix cheers with a huge smile stretching on his face and eyes smiling at Minho. 

“Felix,” Jisung whines in complaint. “You’re going to scare him, sunshine.” Felix pouts but feels bad at being unable to contain his excitement. Jisung quickly pecks Felix's cheek, effectively wiping off his boyfriend's pout.

Meanwhile, Minho has stilled on Jisung's lap, looking down at where his fingers were playing with the boy’s small hands. The word “baby” rings in his ears and the other members can see how conflicted he looks, almost fighting against his own self.

Abruptly, Minho stands up from Sungie’s lap and stands in place for a few seconds, looking in confusion with his eyes furrowed at the ground.

“I- uh-,” Minho clears his throat. “I’m going to go get some water in the kitchen. My- uhm- my throat hurts.”

In the kitchen, Minho stares down at his hands in disgust and confusion. He can’t believe he acted like that. “Like a fucking child,” the voice supplies. He feels unexplainably gross and his skin feels as if it’s crawling. There’s a light buzzing all over his body, making him want to scrub the entirety of his skin until it’s red and raw to rid himself of these feelings. 

He saw the look on Changbin's face as he walked out of the living room and knows they are going to want to talk to him when he comes back. He steels himself for the yells of loathing and distaste at the way he was acting, mentally preparing himself for how his boyfriends are going to respond. 

“Why does this keep happening to me?” he mumbles to himself out loud. He can’t tell if he’s on the verge of tears or is just beyond angry with himself for acting like a bratty child, who needs affection and cuddles. “God, you’re disgusting. It’s sickening to even look at you. You’re revolting, Minho,” the voice taunts him. “S- Shut up,” he says quietly into the empty kitchen. 

____________________________________________________________________________

When Minho returns, he gingerly sits himself on the edge of the couch, refusing to look at anybody and opting to take small sips of his water. He feels the humiliation grow each second that is passed in silence. His arms feel raw from how much scratching he did in the kitchen. He knows he’s supposed to use other methods to help get the voice to stop talking, but Minho couldn’t help it and the pain was what always quieted the voice. 

Changbin lets out a sigh after looking at his boyfriend and motions for Chan to start talking. 

“Min-,“ Chan starts, looking directly at the boy, which makes him squirm around in his seat on the couch. “We were talking while you napped and wanted to bring something up with you.” Chan pauses and Minho gives a nod in confirmation for him to continue, nervously playing with his fingers. 

“We all have noticed the way you’ve been acting more- childishly,” Chan says, almost as more of a question because he’s not quite sure how to word this correctly. Minho tenses his shoulders at Chan’s words and readies himself for whatever Chan is about to say next. 

“Have- Have you ever heard of Littlespace, hyung?” Seungmin questions, looking curiously at Minho to gauge his reaction. Minho slightly shakes his head at his boyfriend's words, still looking down at his lap and periodically taking sips of his water. 

Chan clears his throat and pauses to try and collect his thoughts for a minute. “So Littlespace is something people can slip into to deal with stress or as like a trauma response. It’s basically- A person mentally regresses to when they were a kid, so they act younger as almost a coping mechanism.” Chan does his best to explain although he too is new at this. 

“It’s- It’s more like a person- or,” Jisung pauses. “A Little- They're called Littles,” he explains.

“Littles don’t really act younger. It’s more like they are actually in a younger mindset and headspace, so they behave how a five-year-old would for example,” Jisung tries to further explain. Chan nods his head in agreement with Jisung's words. None of them are exactly sure how to explain it. Most of them have only just learned about it today.

Minho stiffens and stares blankly down at his lap after Jisung and Chan’s words register in his mind. He isn’t even sure what to think right now. He’s never heard of this Littlespace. It sounds weird and gross. And it does not seem like a healthy or normal coping mechanism.

Chan hesitates, looking at Minho, before pulling up a website on his phone and passing it down. Minho reads through the website on what Littles are and how they may act. He feels even more disgusted with every sentence. Everything sounds like the things he has been experiencing on occasion. Minho feels sick. Everything sounds like him. 

The website perfectly describes how he has been acting and what had happened to him on his days off. It was almost nice in a way to put a name to the thing going on with him, but it made him feel even angrier at himself. “They were right. You are just like a fucking child. Why don’t you go suck on a pacifier, you fucking baby? You’re disgusting. You just need so much attention that you act like a fucking toddler to get it. You’re twenty-two years old. Act like it.”

Chan’s phone drops out of Minho’s hand and lands on the floor at the edge of the couch. Then Minho moves away from it like he’s been shocked. Minho’s back hits the back of the couch cushion and he brings his knees in towards his chest after placing his water to the side. He feels like his ribs are compressing and aren't allowing him to get enough air. His breathing is ragged and he gently rocks back and forth on the couch, trying to soothe himself and calm the voice and self-deprecating thoughts that fly into his head.

Minho feels incredibly overwhelmed with this new information and can’t help the voice in his head from throwing insults at him. He suddenly is very aware of his breathing. It feels like his lungs are slowly collapsing in on themselves, so he tries to keep his head down to hide how hard it is getting to breathe.

Chan looks with a sad expression at Minho, who hasn’t looked up since dropping his phone off the couch. “Minho, there’s nothing wrong with regressing. It’s nothing weird. It’s a coping mechanism and if it’s something that helps you, then there’s nothing wrong with it,” he states carefully, eyes trained on Minho to see if he’s giving any reaction to Chan’s words.

“Last night, you started slurring your words together. And when you went to sleep, you curled up and started sucking on your thumb. And just now, you were giggling and wanting to sit in Sungie-hyung’s lap and play with his fingers,” Felix says, having calmed down from his excitement before and now focusing on making sure Minho knew they would be happy to take care of him.

“It was adorable, hyung, and none of us found it disgusting or- wrong,” Felix warmly says with a small smile directed at Minho’s small form at the end of the couch.

Everybody looks towards Minho after what Felix said, but their boyfriend is still looking down at his lap and they don’t have a clear view of his face. They are unsure whether to ask him to look at them or to respond. They’re not sure what’s going through Minho’s head right now, but they want to be there for him. For all they know, Minho might not even be a Little, but with the way he reacted, or more like the lack of reaction he gave, it seems like he definitely is.

With everything Felix lists, Minho feels himself grow more and more distrusted. At this point, he has given up on regulating his breathing, almost going into a full-on panic. His thoughts are racing and he feels like he might throw up. “No. No. No. No. No,” Minho thinks. He can’t be a Little. That’s gross and disgusting. He doesn’t need cuddles and comfort and toys. He’s not a fucking baby.

“No,” Minho finally finds his voice. “I’m- No! I’m not a Little. That’s-“ Minho’s voice is shaking and his eyes start rapidly blinking. 

“I can’t be. ‘M not a baby,” he mumbles, more to himself than to any of the rest.

The voice in his head continues to degrade Minho and he cringes at the thought of what he did last night. He can feel tears of shame and embarrassment start to form in his eyes. The voices in his brain start repeating and overlapping and he’s having a hard time thinking. Everything feels like way too much and he can’t handle this new thing added on top of everything else that’s going on.

“I- I’m sorry for last night. I- It won’t happen again. I’m sorry,” Minho says, while squeezing his eyes shut tight and rocking a little faster. 

Changbin responds immediately to Minho’s words, “Don’t fucking apologize, Minho. We told you we wanted to talk care of you, didn’t we? That means taking care of you no matter what. Littlespace or not.” 

“We want to take care of you, Min,” he sighs, completely dropping honorifics. “This,” he vaguely gestures. “This doesn’t change anything.”

“Hyung,” says Seungmin from the other end of the couch. “Just because you’re a Little, doesn’t mean you act that way all the time. It’s a coping mechanism. It’s just something you do when you get stressed or something bad happens that’s hard to deal with.” 

Minho squeezes his eyes shut and brings his hands up to cover his face. He is trying to believe what the others are saying, but his mind just won’t let him. Minho chokes back a sob. His emotions feel raw and he feels so out of control. 

He tries to force air into his lungs and out. In and out. In and out. But, he is struggling to even take these shallow, ragged breaths. Minho can feel his heart racing and he draws his body even further in on himself.

“Minho-hyung, if this is the way you destress and what you use to cope with things, then we all fully support you. All of us have issues and have had problems in the past and there have always been methods we used to help deal with shit. This is no different,” Hyunjin speaks up.

“Also you’re fucking adorable when you’re Little, hyung,” admits Innie, almost beaming at the thought of how Minho acted with Jisung and hoping he would allow himself to slip again. (The smile soon, however, slips off Jeongin's face as Hyunjin and Jisung both plant obnoxious kisses to his cheeks, 'overwhelmed' by the adorable maknae expressing his love for their other boyfriend. Jeongin pushes their mouths away from him, frowning and rubbing at his two cheeks, making the other two smile humorously.)

Minho can’t hold back a sob any longer. His whole body is shaking and he can’t fucking breathe. He feels like he’s going to die. Minho is terrified.

At the sound that Minho makes, Hyunjin, Jisung, and Jeongin instantly snap out of their own little world. Chan quickly rushes over in front of his boyfriend and the others are not far behind.

“Hey. Hey. Hey,” Chan says, getting Minho’s attention. “Can you breathe with me, Min?”

Minho reaches out to touch Chan’s chest, feeling his steady heartbeat as he tries to match Chan’s breathing. Felix rubs up and down his back in time with the rising and falling of Chan’s chest, helping Minho become more coherent. His breathing eventually improves and he starts feeling better. 

____________________________________________________________________________

When he opens his eyes again, his breathing has gone back to normal and the sense of dread and panic has stopped trying to overtake his body. 

“There you go, baby,” Chan says softly, smiling up at Minho on the couch. Minho feels his face flush at the nickname and he turns his head away so he doesn’t have to look Chan in the eyes.

Chan lets out a chuckle and says with a smirk, “What, Min? You don’t want to be our baby?”

Minho lets out a sound halfway between a whine of protest and a garbled sound of embarrassment. 

The others are glad they have gotten Minho to calm down and stop him from fully spiraling into a worse panic attack. They have all settled onto the couch, surrounding Minho. Hyunjin pats Minho’s back, while Felix is leaning his head on Minho’s shoulder. Jisung has managed to pull Jeongin into his lap as they gather closer to Minho. And Seungmin and Changbin both hold each other’s hands for comfort, while also holding one of each of Minho’s. 

“Yeah, kitten. Do you not want to be our baby?” Changbin teases by reiterating what Chan said and slyly grinning at Minho.

All of these pet names are making it hard to stop the fuzzy feeling from taking over his mind. He still isn’t sure if he’s okay with being a Little and the self-deprecating thoughts do not help.

“S- Stop,” Minho weakly protests. “You’re making me feel-“ he cuts himself off and looks down, knowing fully well that his face is bright red.

(“I told you,” whispers Seungmin to Jisung. “Hyung's the most fun to mess with because he’s so cute when he gets embarrassed.”

Jisung grins in response and agreement, kissing Seungmin's cheek at the wide smile on his face.

Minho can clearly hear their words and he instantly brings both hands up to his face.) 

“Feel what, baby?” Jisung prompts, smiling brightly from Minho’s side.

“...F-Feel small,” Minho finally whines, beyond humiliated. “You’re- you’re making me feel all nice and fuzzy. And I-. No-,” he cuts himself off, finally removing his hands from his face and placing them in his lap, but still avoiding eye contact.

“Yes!” Jeongin states, grinning evilly at Minho, making Changbin snort at the maknae. 

“Come on, baby. Just let go. It’s been a stressful week, yeah? So just let us take care of you. We can figure this out together, sweetheart,” Chan says softly to the boy in front of him. All of them are eager to see their little Min, but they don’t want to push him if he isn’t comfortable regressing. This is new for not only Minho but also them, so they will need to figure it out together. But all of his boyfriends are willing to do just about anything to help.

Minho pauses and then without warning his body lets out a loud sneeze. Minho’s eyes look hazy as he looks at Chan with a small, reserved smile on his face.

“If somebody gets me some more medicine, so I stop dying, I can- I can try it.” 

Chan lets out a snort and Jisung hops off the couch to go grab Minho some more medicine. When he reappears, Chan is helping Minho blow his nose, while Minho looks at Chan with a death-glare. Hyunjin mutters, “Ew!” and dramatically shields his face from the sight.

Minho groans when Chan pulled away and rolls his eyes at him for having insisted to help Minho blow his nose. Innie snickered and Minho shoots him a glare as well.

Jisung tosses the medicine at Minho, laughing at how the older shouts his name, and angrily mutters something about having poor hand-to-eye coordination and an inability to catch.

Once he has taken the medicine and has drunk some water, Minho freezes once more. He hesitates but thinks about all he’s been going through. Not only has it sucked to be sick for two days, but also what he has been going through for months now without the little breaks he used to take when he would fake sickness.

He thinks about how hurt he had felt because of what his members had said and how they treated him yesterday. He still thinks that was mostly his fault, but does acknowledge that it made him extremely upset and guilty. 

Minho thinks about that stupid voice in his head always taunting him and bringing unwanted fear and dark thoughts. 

Then he thinks about how good opening up to the others felt today and how nice it was to finally get everything off his chest. 

He thinks about how good it was to be in Littlespace, even though he didn’t even know what it was back then. 

And lastly, Minho thinks about the fact that he still feels like shit and has been coughing and sneezing on and off today, and how his headache has still persisted no matter how hard he tries to ignore it. 

Finally, he thinks about how incredible his boyfriends are. How they showed him how much they wanted to take care of him. How they are and will be helping him through everything that was is going on. How they never once laughed or treated him differently due to what information he chose to disclose to them. He thinks about how open they are to trying this will him and even encouraged Minho when he was unsure. He feels so insanely lucky to have all of them, and lucky to be in this group, and be in this relationship, where they all love and care for each other so much.

With that last thought, Minho lets himself slip, the fuzzy feeling fully consuming his mind. He lets the negative internal voice slip away and allows himself to stop thinking so hard. Minho feels small and cared for. He loves it. 

His boyfriends can instantly tell when Minho has slipped. Their boyfriend's eyes widen and grow glossy. Then his face relaxes and he has this childish innocence about him. They’ve never seen Minho look so carefree and adorable.

Minho stares at Chan in front of him, letting out a whimper and making grabby hands at him. Chan grins and stands up, quickly pulling Minho into his arms before settling him back on the couch in his lap. 

“Hi, baby!” Felix says, eagerly waving at Minho, sitting in his other boyfriend's lap. Minho smiles his bright gummy smile back at Lix and then snatches Felix’s hand to play with his fingers.

“He’s so cute. I think I might die,” Hyunjin exaggerates. Jisung chuckles at Hyunjin, shaking his head, although he is just as gone for their little kitten. 

“Play with my hand, angel. Not Felix-hyungs,” says Innie. Felix gasps, offended at I.N. for suggesting such a horrid and despicable thing. Minho, not understanding most of the words coming out of the other's mouths, contentedly plays with both of their hands. 

“Do you want to finish the movie, Min? Or watch something else?” questions Changbin, petting Minho’s head. 

Minho ceases his playing with Innie and Lixie’s fingers and looks up at Changbin. Changbin can’t help but let a smile brighten up his features at their adorable boyfriend. Honestly, all of his boyfriends are adorable. The audacity.

“We go sweep,” Minho finally asks in a small voice. Seungmin has to physically clamp a hand on Felix’s mouth to stop him from screaming in delight at the childish tone Minho used.

“Of course, baby,” says Seungmin, with a hand still over a pouting Felix’s mouth.

Jisung smiles at the way Minho grins shyly at Seungmin in thanks. Then he reaches over to massage Minho’s tummy. This causes the boy to let out a squeal and push Jisung's hand away.

“Wan’ cuddle. No twickles, Sungie,” the Little laughs out. Apparently, Minho’s stomach was a ticklish spot. Jisung keeps this in mind for next time. 

____________________________________________________________________________

As the others go get ready for bed, Chan and Changbin stay with Minho out in the living room. Chan pushes two mattresses together and then fits them up against the couch. In the meantime, Jisung is off with Hyunjin to go get loads of blankets and pillows for them to have their giant cuddle pile (just more comfortable this time). 

Minho sits in a chair off to the side, so he’s still in both of their views, while he sleepily sucks on his thumb and nods off every once in a while.

Once everybody comes back, Hyunjin and Seungmin help pull some pajamas on Minho and make sure he’s nice and comfortable. 

Then Minho is placed on Sungie's back and is taxied off to the bathroom. Chan helps him brush his teeth, used helping some of his boyfriends get ready for bed after a super exhausting schedule or practice. 

Then the Little spots Binnie and freezes at the item in his hands. Changbin smiles lightly and hands Gyu over to Minho, who instantly squeezes the stuffed animal to his body and lets out a content small noise. 

(“You’re so whipped,” comments Jeongin from beside Changbin.

“Ya!” whisper-shouts Changbin. “We’re literally all dating, brat.”

Jeongin smiles and gives Changbin a kiss on the cheek before walking off, laughing.)

Chan hoists Minho up, causing the Little to laugh in shock, then the older escorts him back into the living room. As soon as Minho is set down, he zones out for a little. Just as Jisung is about to point out his odd behavior, Minho lets out a sniffle, and instantly seven pairs of eyes are on him. Seungmin rushes over first, as he is the closest to Minho, followed by Hyunjin, then Chan, and everybody else.

“What’s wrong, baby?” asks Seungmin, everybody staring with concern at their boyfriend.

“I-,” Minho sniffs again, his eyes filling with tears. Then abruptly he is cut off with a sneeze and a cough. This makes the tears start to roll down the Little's face.

“Lino don’ fweel good,” he hiccups in a shaking voice. 

Chan is quick to wipe the tears away with his thumb. “Aw, it’s okay, kitten. We just have to wait for the medicine to kick in.”

Minho nods, despite the tears still cascading down his face.

“Come on, kitten. Let's go cuddle!” cheers Hyunjin, trying to get the Little to smile once again and forget about feeling sick.

Minho’s face instantly brightens up at the promise of hugs and cuddles. The rest of the members stare with soft, happy smiles on their faces. They would do anything to keep their baby happy and are glad Minho still trusts them. Each of them vows to make up for the mean things they said the other day and promises to show Minho they will never make that mistake again. All of them are just glad to have Minho open up to them and let them finally take care of him because this has been long overdue. They would do anything to help one another and when each of them smiles before cuddling up together and drifting off, they all know they are each thinking the same thing. But most importantly, they’re just glad their Min is okay.

**Author's Note:**

> hellooo!! i’m not an expert on littlespace, so feel free to let me know if i got something wrong or messed up. thank you to those who asked for a second part, i enjoyed writing this a lot!! anyways, thank you to those who read and comment, i hope you enjoy <3


End file.
